We are excited to welcome you onto your MA journey during the week of 16 September with a programme of welcome activities. This series of introductory activities has been designed to help you transition smoothly into university life. You'll receive crucial information to start your studies on the right foot, meet our dedicated staff, connect with your fellow students, and familiarize yourself with the campus.

Once your University IT account has been activated, you will be able to access our resources, including Library resources and relevant software. On our Blackboard pages (virtual learning environment platform) you will be able to find detailed information about your course, as well as about supporting services and opportunities available to you.

At the beginning of your academic programme, you will be assigned to a personal tutor, who will provide you with academic support throughout the course and act as a gateway to support and development services offered elsewhere in the University.

In addition to other exciting activities, you will have access to our Creative Agency, which supports students by providing opportunities to engage in paid projects and develop a portfolio of work essential for preparing for your future career. The Agency also facilitates student collaboration, allowing students to contribute to each other's projects across the School of Creative Arts and Industries. 

After welcome week you will begin work on your first three modules that you will study in Trimester 1: Practical Production Skills for Film and Media, Collaborative Practice and Creativity, Culture and Community.

Designed to enhance your practical abilities, project development skills and explore inter-disciplinary interactions, our MA program builds upon students’ existing expertise, developing advanced key skills, concepts and knowledge of film and media pre-production. You will express your creativity through the essential elements of production allowing you to explore your artistic and creative aspirations. The modules you will study will include:

Trimester 1: Practical Production Skills for Film and Media. Here emphasis is placed on those skills, for example camera, lighting, sound, which are relevant to film and media production. Learning takes place through lectures, workshops, and the completion of practical exercises. You will have access to a variety of high-end production equipment to allow you to explore your creativity. Students are normally set individual and group exercises in film and media production, and formative assessment takes the form of feedback sessions on the work completed.

Trimester 2: Pre-Production for Film and Media. This module is where ideas meet realities. You will begin to consider your final projects through script writing and project development. By the end of it you will know in depth and in detail what film you will be preparing and making in the trimester that follows. By Easter it will exist as a professionally scripted document. It will have considered the given parameters of duration, number of shooting days and budget together with the capabilities of available crew and cast.

Trimester 3: Final Project In the final trimester of your course you will have the opportunity to focus on a larger-scale film and media production project. This project can be used to further develop your creative and practical skills, and to build your portfolio, helping you to build a career in film and media production when you graduate.

There is no compulsory reading you need to do before you join the course, but as a general catch all text, Bordwell and Thompson’s ‘Film Art’ (McGraw Hill; 13th edition 13 Oct. 2023) is highly recommended. In addition, try to watch as many films as you can, and get into the habit of making your own notes about production techniques and storytelling.

We look forward to welcoming you to our MA modules. Get ready to explore, create, and innovate with us at CCCU!